Jurors mull death penalty in gun collection theft slaying

Updated
12:47 pm EDT, Sunday, March 17, 2019

WASHINGTON, Pa. (AP) — Jurors in western Pennsylvania are hearing testimony on whether a man convicted in a slaying six years ago should be executed or spend life in prison without possibility of parole.

Brandon Wolowski, 24, was convicted of first-degree murder last week in the January 2013 killing of 37-year-old Matthew Mathias during an attempt to steal a gun collection from the victim's house, The (Washington) Observer-Reporter reported.

In seeking capital punishment, Washington County prosecutors cited the wounding of a 45-year-old woman and the fact that the slaying occurred during commission of a felony.

The defense argued unsuccessfully during trial that Wolowski, who was 18 at the time, should have been treated as a juvenile due to alleged fetal alcohol syndrome and a learning disability. Defense attorney Thomas Farrell also said his client's upbringing included frequent abuse and "numerous" foster homes and asked jurors to give him a shot at redemption.

Angela Seaman, a former Washington High science and special education teacher, recalled Wolowski as a ninth-grader who stood up for an autistic student if other kids made derogatory comments. She described him as kind but vulnerable to other students' influence.